Lovers of briyani gam can now get the delicious dish, without having to travel all the way to Johor.
WE all know that Penang is famous for its char koay teow and assam laksa, and Ipoh for its bean sprouts and chicken rice. And when it comes to good nasi briyani gam, Batu Pahat, in Johor, could be the place to get the best.
It is also well known that when it comes to food, Malaysians are willing to go the distance to indulge. But good news to people in the Klang Valley - there is one restaurant not too far away (as the crow flies) that serves the famous Batu Pahat nasi briyani gam.
Partners at work: Husband and wife Shahnim Mohd Sharif, 26, and Amir Izwan Adniruddin, 26, love running their restaurant together. Opened just two months ago, it is called GP Jati Beriani House and is located beside the Dengkil Dadah Rehabilitation Centre and just a few metres away from the Paya Indah Wetlands in Selangor.
The main dishes are briyani gam with rendang chicken, lamb and beef, but the speciality is briyani gam rendang ikan keli.
Cooked according to the same recipe as the other rendang, the rendang ikan keli is a delicious offering of extremely fresh and tender fish flesh, and there’s a lot of it in one serving as well.
“We (Shanim and his family) own a pond not far from the restaurant and, currently, we have over 60,000 ikan keli,” says Amir Izwan Adniruddin, 26, who owns the restaurant and runs it with his wife, Shahnim Mohd Sharif, also 26. “That is why we have no shortage of them.”
He adds that his nasi briyani gam is similar to the one in Batu Pahat because his cook is the brother-in-law of the owner of the well-known Nasi Briyani Restaurant Batu Pahat, Johor.
Different: The rendang ikan keli. Actually, Amir’s main business is a furniture shop called GP Jati Sdn Bhd, which specialises in jati wood.
But business was slow so he decided to open a restaurant, hoping to attract customers to buy the furniture as well as eat the food.
“It all happened by accident. I needed to save my furniture business and couldn’t think of anything else but a restaurant,” he says.
He did not have to look far when it came to furnishing the restaurant as everything was available from his own furniture shop.
The furniture is imported from Jepara, Indonesia and include four-poster beds, coffee tables and a huge dining table that fits 30 people. The items all have the GP logo on them.
Nevertheless, it is the food that is the main draw here and most of the patrons agree that the speciality dish is as good as the one in Batu Pahat.
Nubhan Md Zabin, a 24-year-old contracting manager, says that prior to visiting Amir’s restaurant, he used to go to a popular briyani gam cafe in Putrajaya.
“I’ve been to that restaurant and the food does taste almost identical to the one I had in Batu Pahat. But after trying the dishes here, I don’t think I’ll be going elsewhere for my favourite briyani gam,” he says.
“I love the briyani rice with cashew nuts and red capsicum. It combines well with the rendang beef and a tall glass of assam boi.”
Nubhan’s friend Shahrulnizam Shaharuddin, also 24, agrees, saying he would drive all the way from his house in Subang Jaya to Dengkil for this delicious dish.
“There are several restaurants in Subang Jaya that offer the same dishes but I find myself drawn to GP Briyani. I like the ikan keli here,” he says.
The restaurant may soon be thrumming with music as well, as Amir is planning to add a stage in front for live performances.
“Malaysians love two things the most – food and music. So why not put the two together?”
The restaurant is on Jalan Dengkil-Banting. If you’re coming from Pekan Dengkil, head towards Banting. Once you see the Dengkil Dadah Rehabilitation Centre, slow down as the restaurant is just beside it.
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